Festivals

Choral Festivals In the Diocese of Salisbury

We believe that for over 150 years the Choral Festival Group and its predecessors have provided Choral Festivals for church choirs in the Diocese.

Over the years new music has been commissioned for use at the festivals, Parry composed 'Hear my words, ye people' for the 1894 festival and more recently Sir John Tavener composed 'Ravoneē' for the millennium festival and Bryan Kelly composed a setting of Psalm 100 using the Common Worship Psalter for the 2003 festivals and the commissioning of new works continues to the present.

Festivals are held at Salisbury Cathedral in June each year and, in many years, at centres in the North and South of the diocese in the autumn. In preparation there is a Choir Directors Rehearsal in February and a number of regional rehearsals in May.

The Festival Service Book is published well in advance of of the Choir Director's rehearsal and it contains all the music for the year's festivals – it is usually available from November the year before the festivals to assist choirs in their preparation. The music is chosen so that the books become a continuing resource for the choirs in their own parishes. Books may be available for purchase after festivals if the print run has not been sold out, look in our Archive to see details of recent festivals and books.